If Quebec politicians are not careful in this upcoming election, they could call into question the fiscal union that underlies the market’s expectation of potential federal support. The recent Italian experience should be a cautionary warning to Quebec politicians: Policies and rhetoric that undermine international investors’ confidence can quickly lead to higher bond yields, starting the vicious cycle of austerity and lower growth that could lead to fundamental questions of solvency.
h/t RB
When can the ROC have a referendum on keeping Quebec “in” this land, as part of Canada?
The results would be interesting.
So, how is Quebec going to “fight” NL over the Gulf of St. Lawrence oil deposit, as Madame Marois promises, if it doesn’t have a military, as Quebecois NDP Separatiste predicts?
Oh, sorry, I’d forgotten the usual tactic: “fight” in the Canadian court system until you get a favourable ruling, then claim that the ruling would survive Quebec’s separation from Canada. The fighting in the court system would be a means of fanning the flames of “Quebec’s historical grievances”, which tactic ignores completely the idea that a legitimate court system is a means of redressing historical grievances.
Non-sequitor piled upon non-sequitor piled upon non-sequitor. I’m reminded of an answer Stephen Harper gave to Bob Rae, who asked a question about how Mr. Harper proposed “to square the circle” on some issue or other. As Stephen responded, “There aren’t enough hours in the day to square all the circles that need to be squared over in that corner of the House…”
On the other hand, how can PIMCO be so naively clueless about publishing an article like this? “Whatever you do, don’t touch that hot stove-top!” The information provided is self-evident, and the admonition is practically an invitation for “separatist” proponents to engage in the warned-against behaviour. After all, upsetting the national apple cart has historically proven a most effective way for the tail to wag the dog.
quebecois – you’re the one who’s talking about money, and giving up all the over 53 billion coming your way from the federal government. Your choice. As you say (notice, I agree with you that you are unable to think)…money doesn’t matter.
You are the one who isn’t bothered that the ROC are subsidizing international students coming to Quebec (as long as they are francophone!) while students from anywhere in Canada must pay double that rate in Quebec. After all, it’s just money. And the federal government funds those universities anyway. Heh.
You thumb your nose at Canada and yet, have told us repeatedly, that you’ll accept their money and have no shame in offering nothing back. Unprincipled and shameless. Is that how you like the world to view Quebecers?
You are right, there ARE other things than money. Such as the view of others that Quebec is without ethics or principles and just takes from others.
I know you don’t care about money and therefore, are quite content to see the end of all those federal offices located in Quebec, so Quebecois have jobs. And the head offices of other major businesses and banks; you won’t mind when they all leave. After all, their jobs and money are irrelevant. You won’t mind thousands of people leaving the province, after all, it’s just money.
And then, there’s the Cree, who live in most of northern Quebec, and the federal government is bound, by law, to protect their rights to that land. So, leave by all means but without that land base. Oh, and pay down your share of the national debt.
After all, Quebec doesn’t need an economy. Or universities, which would disappear as the federal funding stopped. Or roads. Or unemployment or disability or hospitals. Heh. It’s just money.
You’ll be on your own! Cheers.
Bluetech @ 9:08
That isn’t just Quebec road construction workers off enjoying a beer in the summer heat…’tis building construction (carpenters) as well.
Austerity for a Quebecer is a little less cheese and gravy on a poutine.
As for Ontario roads…we’ll just have to keep banging through the pot holes ’til the tires fall off.
Queerbeck NDPissed
“ET: There is more than money in life, do you know that?”
then why do you freeloaders keep taking those equalization payments?????
I know that many in the ROC are fed up with Quebec’s refusal to be a mature and thus interactive part of the Canadian federation and to insist, instead, on being only a recipient of money and special deals.
If Quebec were to separate, it would be an economic disaster for Quebec. It would lose not merely the over 15 billion extra it receives from the ROC than it pays in taxes, but, it would lose a host of benefits. There’s the dairy industry which is locked into Quebec and forbidden to the rest of Canada; that would collapse. There’s all the major banks, head offices and industrial complexes that are based in Quebec that would disappear, as well as the civil service located in Quebec.
And, there are all the francophone jobs in Ottawa that would disappear. The Quebec economy, even now, is strangled by corruption and unions, resulting in a huge black market economy. If Quebec were to separate, and that would of course mean the loss of the stability of the Canadian dollar, its economy would collapse because it has never developed a Quebec-centred economy. Instead, it has set itself up as a population living off the largesse and stability of a ‘foreign nation’, ie, Canada.
What should Quebec do? Join the federation. Become an active participant in the federation. Stop demanding and start to collaborate and give a little. Give, rather than take. Will they? Are they capable of giving or just taking?
Need any more Quebecois anchor babies in Alberta, than we already have?
It only takes a month to starve them out. Anyway, I hear they have better welfare in BC. Warmer weather, too.
The ones we have are gonna get starved out after the next election 🙂
Quebecois NDP separatist:
With no military, as you have mused, how are you planning to stop the aboriginals from asserting their property rights and staying within Canada, stripping you of much of your hydro assets and a significant proportion of the land mass of your current province? And even if you had a military, do you really think that the rest of Canada would stand by silently if you forced a bunch of Canadians to continue to be part of an articially-created province, in terms of its boundaries? If so, you are dreaming.
I was born and raised in Quebec; thankfully I escaped, so I sort of understand your mindset.
Frankly, in my opinion, just leave. Go away. I am tired of constantly seeing us trying to placate a petulant spoiled child. Just go away. We can no longer to afford a spoiled child that never appreciates what charity we provide for them.
And if you think for a moment that the majority of Canadians will mourn your absence from the union, you are mistaken. You have simply pushed us too far.
Bruce >
“how are you planning to stop the aboriginals from asserting their property rights and staying within Canada,”
{We will smoke peyote and sweet grass naked as brothers and sisters, all children of the Great Mother Earth. They will then see our way and give blessings to our great socialist Czar} – to paraphrase QNS.
Bruce, well said.
I personally don t believe that Quebec needs a military,after all France has not had on in a couple of hundred years and they have always been fortunate enough to have other countries [ IE:those with a real military] save their cowardly asses.Quebec on its own would be no different than the cowardly country they seem to admire so much.The sooner these parasites leave the better off Canada will be,and we won t expect you to pay your share of the National debt because without the ROC you fools couldn t pay attention.
Go ahead Quebec….pull the trigger.
All I know is that should La Belle Province hold another Neverendum on leaving the greates country in the world – ALL of the rest of Canada gets to vote so that, once and for all, the future of Quebec is decided.
Both sets of my grandparents were early 1900’s pioneers to Saskatchewan. I am fully bi-ligual – english-french or, if you wish, englais/francais.
I would vote to LET THEM GO!!!. Once and for all.
Bunch of freeekin leaches!
The following quotation is from noted humourist P.J. O’Rourke. Please buy his books, so he can keep writing:
The free market is the greatest repository of our freedoms. Economic freedom is the freedom we exercise most often and to the greatest extent. Freedom of speech is important—if you have anything to say. I’ve checked the Internet; nobody does. Freedom of belief is important—if you believe in anything. I’ve watched reality TV and I can’t believe it. Freedom of assembly is important—if you’re going to an assembly. Most people are going to the mall. And, at the mall, they exercise economic freedom.
The free market is not a creed or an ideology that political conservatives, libertarians, and Ayn Rand acolytes want Americans to take on faith. The free market is simply a measurement. The free market tells us what people are willing to pay for a given thing at a given moment.
That’s all the free market does. The free market is a bathroom scale. We may not like what we see when we step on the bathroom scale, but we can’t pass a law making ourselves weigh 165. Liberals and leftists think we can.
The separatists will never grasp any concept except the one where they threaten to separate, and the politician’s cave to the demands…..basically it’s dane geld for an outcome that there is no intention of having to actually follow through because it’s always worked.
It’s called the old game, and the response is “plan A” but every so often someone in Ottawa starts mentioning “plan B”.
The last time was something called the clarity act.
Perhaps if there is another referendum, it’s time for Ottawa to put down some markers for the inevitable “not this time”. How about if you guys lose again, the province of Quebec signs the constitution.
Would sort of change the complexion of the “game” now wouldn’t it.
The separatists will never grasp any concept except the one where they threaten to separate, and the politician’s cave to the demands…..basically it’s dane geld for an outcome that there is no intention of having to actually follow through because it’s always worked.
It’s called the old game, and the response is “plan A” but every so often someone in Ottawa starts mentioning “plan B”.
The last time was something called the clarity act.
Perhaps if there is another referendum, it’s time for Ottawa to put down some markers for the inevitable “not this time”. How about if you guys lose again, the province of Quebec signs the constitution.
Would sort of change the complexion of the “game” now wouldn’t it.
“Quebec, a shining example of decades of socialism at work. ”
You’re a shining example of socialism at work, komrade kulak. Equalization transfers to Quebec come to about $1000.00 per capita, not an insignificant sum. Unless one compares that to the over $20,000.00 per freeloader rural conservative welfare bum farmers receive in transfers from honest working Canadians. After a lifetime of wallowing in the public trough, you would think a welfare bum like yourself would feel some gratitude, instead of entitlement to your entitlements.
phil at 632am
where is this $20,000 per farmer you speak of? I don’t recall my father ever receiving a cheque from the government for producing cream or selling hogs. I do recall that he had to file for a gas rebate that basically refunded the taxes that he had already paid on the fuel for the tractors. He had to pay the government for ‘quota’ the right to sell a pound of cream to the cheese factory.
If Quebec ever musters up enough courage to hold another independence referendum, I say the rest of Canada holds one at the same time, with one simple question: Do we want to keep Quebec in Canada or kick them out?
I bet the latter option would win in a landslide.
In the 2012-2013 year, the following provinces will receive equalization payments:[4]
Quebec ($7.391 billion)
Ontario ($3.261 billion)
Manitoba ($1.671 billion)
New Brunswick ($1.495 billion)
Nova Scotia ($1.268 billion)
Prince Edward Island ($337 million)
The following provinces will not qualify for equalization payments in 2012-2013:[4]
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Newfoundland and Labrador
British Columbia
Here’s one thing you’ll never hear a maudite separatiste talk about:
“IF CANADA can be split, so can Quebec; the logic is simple, seductive and a headache for Lucien Bouchard, the premier of that province. He wants to make it an independent country. His trouble is that, before he has even announced the date of a new referendum on secession, towns and villages in Quebec’s more federalist, more English-speaking regions are busy passing resolutions saying they want to stay part of Canada no matter what.”
http://www.economist.com/node/107946